Loose Guinea Pigs
by TgShinx
Summary: When Chrome helps Tsuna gets cat food for Natsu, she accidentally lets loose a family of Guinea Pigs!


Chrome took a deep breath and looked out the window. This was her first night, locking up the store and although it was practically empty, she couldn't actually leave for another half hour. She looked back in the store, she was the only person left. She didn't mind, in fact she preferred it. She was about to go to the back, but the door opened behind her.

"Oh.. Hello, how can I help you.. Bossu?" She blinked, standing before her was Tsuna! As usual, he looked a little stressed and tired. He was a bit out of breath, like he ran here.'Um... can I help you Bossu?"

Tsuna stood up straight, surprised to see her. "Chrome? Oh yeah.. You work here... But why are you here so late?" He asked, scratching the back of his head.

"I'm in charge of closing the store tonight. Its Friday, and I'm covering for someone." She said, leaning against the register. "Oh! What can I do for you?" She asked, looking over at him. "Is Natsu okay?"

"Oh, yeah, he's alright. I.. I ran out of food, and I need to pick up some more.." Tsuna admitted, looking down sheepishly. "Can you help?" He asked her, looking back up.

"Of course Bossu. The cat food is over in aisle four. I'll take care of you when you're done, just let me know." She smiled at him and walked over to a small guinea pig cage where a little guinea pig family was crowded around the water. 'Oh no, I forgot to give them water for the night..." Chrome opened the cage and took out the water bottle, gently petting the little critters with her finger. She closed it back and went off to the back to refill it. She trotted back to the cage and replaced it, but before she could close the cage, a large rattling sound could be heard from where Tsuna was. Chrome jumped and looked over, blinking as a can of cat food rolled out of the aisle. "….oh Bossu..." She sighed and walked toward the aisle, already knowing what happened.

"Chrome..." Tsuna was frantically picking up the fallen cans, he had spilled a lot of them. "I-I'm so sorry! I was reaching for one, and I brought the others down.." He muttered. Chrome sighed and picked up a can near her feet.

"Its alright Bossu..." She walked over to the mess and knelt down to help. "At least none of them broke, so that's good. All we have to do is put them back." She smiled at him, which seemed to calm him down. 'Thank you Chrome.. I'll make it up to you, I promise." He smiled back, picking up more cans and helping her put them back on the shelf.

"You don't have to do anything, it was an accident. Really Bossu, its fine.." She organized the cans, and after a couple of minutes, it looked like nothing had fallen at all. Tsuna sighed and stood up, taking the three cans he sat aside for Natsu. Chrome stood back and walked over to the register, with Tsuna following. She was inputting his items in the register when he suddenly squeaked. "Bossu, what is it?" Chrome looked up at him.

"I... Something just brushed past me, I know it!" He looked around the floor frantically. "There it is!" He pointed in the toy aisle. Chrome looked up to see something brown and furry. Her eye widened in horror. "Oh no..." She looked over at the cage where she was earlier, the one with the guinea pig family. "B-Bossu..." She took a deep breath, Tsuna looked back at her, now confused. "P-please stay here... Don't step anywhere.." She walked slowly over to the cage, watching the floor. She gasped upon seeing the cage empty. "No!" She turned around. "Bossu! I.. Some guinea pigs escaped, that's what you saw! Can you help? Please! T-there are four of them. They are young and probably scared, so be careful and watch where you step! Can you help me, please?" She begged him, putting her hands together. Tsuna was shocked, he had never seen her so freaked out.

"S-sure Chrome, of course I'll help. I'll check the right side of the store, you check the left, okay?" He carefully walked down the aisles, looking for the small guinea pigs. He got on his hands and knees, looking around until he found one. "Hey little guy.." He smiled and slowly reached his hand out, but it squeaked and scurried away from him. Tsuna groaned and stood up, going after it. From across the large room, he could hear Chrome gasp loudly.

"I found one!" She exclaimed. It was weird to hear her voice so high, she was usually so quiet. "Just give them to me when you find them, and I'll put them back in the cage, okay?"

"Okay!" He wandered into another aisle and found it stuttering away. "Come back!" Chromes head popped out from behind another aisle. "Not you.." She nodded and ran past him, staring at the ground. Tsuna ran after the one he had seen, going from aisle to aisle. "Ugh..." He groaned and stopped, sitting down. He could hear Chrome gasp again, she must have found another one. She already found two, and he couldn't even get one. He sighed and looked around the floor to see the little rodent scurrying about. "Ah! Come here!" He dived for it, just barely grabbing it. He groaned, scurrying forward and grabbing it. "YES!" He held it up triumphantly. "Chrome, I got one!" Tsuna stood up and carried it to the little hutch.

"Great Bossu! Thank you so much! I found the last one, he was in the back." She met up with him and smiled, placing the little one in the hutch. She took the one from Tsunas hands and put it in with the rest. She sighed and hung her head. "Thank you so much Bossu... Really... Thank you.." She stepped forward and gave him a hug. Tsuna blinked, but eventually hugged her back.

"Anytime Chrome. You know I'm here for you, we all are.." He looked at Chrome, who was looking down. She didn't seem to believe him. "Chrome, we're friends. You.. you do know that, right?" He let her go and looked her in the eye.

"..." Chrome hesitated before answering. "O-of course.." She smiled at him. "Oh yeah! I should probably get your food now. I bet Natsu is pretty hungry.." Changing the subject, she went over to the register and rung him up for the cat food. Tsuna sighed and paid for the food and she put it in a bag. Chrome looked over at the clock and sighed. "Well, its time to close. I guess I'll see you at school Bossu." She Smiled weakly at him and walked toward the back to lock up.

"Chrome! Um..." He knew something was wrong with her, but he didn't know how to say it. She seemed upset about something. Did she not think of them as friends? "Chrome, I got an idea. Why don't you come over my house tomorrow? We can spend some time together, just the two of us or maybe with everyone else?" He smiled at her, maybe if they spent some time together, she'd feel closer to them. Chrome stopped and looked at him, shocked.

"You really want to spend time with me...?" Tsuna nodded and smiled.

"I insist. I'll see you tomorrow in the morning." He could see Chrome blush lightly and smiled back at him.

"I-I'll be there Bossu.." She stuttered. Tsuna nodded and smiled again, waving goodbye. Chrome finished cleaning up and checking on the rest of the animals. Minutes later, she locked up the store and left.

END


End file.
